Bears WR ranked 3rd in YPRR as rookie; coach buying stock for Year 2 breakout

Bears WR Burden is a 2026 breakout candidate with multiple catalysts. Head coach Ben Johnson said in May "I'm buying Luther Burden stock right now," calling his sophomore growth "electric." As a rookie, Burden ranked third among qualifying receivers in yards per route run (2.69), behind only Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, while rarely exceeding 50 percent snap share per game. The Bears cleared his target path this offseason by trading D.J. Moore to Buffalo and releasing slot receiver Olamide Zaccheaus in free agency, positioning Burden for increased volume and emergence in Year 2.